New To Me: Windows Mobile Has a "Run" Dialog

I have written before (and will surely write again) about how I'd like something like Quicksilver for Windows Mobile: A simple text entry field that I could enter short, simple text commands into do Get Things Done.

I'm imagining a text field on my today screen, or barring that a little app that indexed contacts, favorites, applications, and settings via Windows Mobile 6's Smart Search (which also works on email, hint hint). Being able to put a "s" in front of a search would make it go search the web for your terms. Or "t joe I'm on my way" would send Joe a text message that I'm on my way. You get the idea. You can see I want this. I'm not the only one.

Enough background. I came across this sweet, hardcore (in a good way) Windows Mobile development blog and was largely mystified. Until I saw that you could do this: "tap and hold down the ‘Action’ key while tapping and holding the stylus on the clock shown on the nav bar." "Action key" is your center button. This'll work on a Pocket PC / Pro edition phone (but not, strangely, a Treo 750). What pops up is essentially the same as Desktop Windows' 'Run' dialog.

Within this dialog you can enter the path to any executable, as well as any required command line parameters.

Examples you may like to try out are as follows:

calc.exe
iexplore.exe
ctlpnl.exe cplmain.cpl,4,0

Read: Windows Mobile Development » Blog Archive » Windows Mobile Tip: Accessing the Run dialog

Yeah, it's not what I dream of. It's not even all that useful given that it's tough to get to and it doesn't auto-complete or search all the places I'd like it to. But there you go, Windows Mobile has a flavor Run dialog. nom nom nom.